Tally Ho!
by pandorabox82
Summary: Ten year old Elinor is not dealing well with Serena and Edward's divorce. In a bid to placate her daughter, Serena allows her to take horseback riding lessons. But a certain macho army woman catches her eye, much to her surprise. AU
1. Chapter 1

"I cannot believe that you would do this to me, Mummy! It was bad enough that you divorced Daddy, and now you're going to dump me with Granny every day so that you can go to work?"

Serena watched as her ten year old daughter began to go into full meltdown mode. Truly, she blamed this all on Edward, as he had spoiled Elinor fiercely in his need to be the parent their daughter loved most. "I need to have a way to support us, Ellie, you know that. Especially now that I have Jason to consider as well."

Her daughter frowned, her lower lip quivering in defiance at the sound of her cousin's name. "I never wanted him in my life, Mummy! It's not my fault his mummy died. I don't see why you have to bring him into our family."

"Because he's the son of my sister, Elinor. One day, when you're older, you'll understand." She reached out and stroked her daughter's hair softly. "Until then, we have to make the effort to include him as well. He is probably missing his mother very much right about now."

Elinor pulled away from her touch and stomped over to the overstuffed chair near the window, plopping down in it with as much force as her little body could muster. Serena knew that she was now in full snit mode, and that nothing she said would assuage her daughter from her goal. The sun shone in on her face, highlighting the tears that were now coursing down Elinor's cheeks. It painted a pretty picture, but it also made Serena all the more hesitant to give in to her demands. If she capitulated now, then her daughter would realise that it only took a little tantrum in front of her to get what she wanted.

Sighing deeply, Serena counted silently to ten before calmly approaching her daughter, crouching down so that she could look her in the eyes. "I know that this is a big change, poppet, but it's a necessary one. There are grown up concerns to think about here, things that you won't understand until you're much older, and I have to put your care and wellbeing before my desire to spend as much time with you as possible. And you like your grandmother's house, remember? You told me about how much you loved going through the trunks and boxes in the attic, finding all the old stuff from her childhood."

Again, Serena began to run her fingers through Elinor's red gold hair, hoping that even a little of what she was saying was getting through to her. Elinor didn't pull away this time, but her crocodile tears grew larger and more copious, now that she knew she had her mother's attention. "I do love that, Mummy. But I'll miss you."

"And I'll miss you, too. But I need to take care of us."

Elinor's lower lip popped out as she touched her chin to her chest in order to look up at Serena, and it was then that she knew there was trouble coming. She recognized that look all too well. "Can I ask you for something, then, Mummy? Something that will prove to me that you love me and won't forget about me while you're at work?"

"I could never forget about you, Ellie." Her lower lip stuck out even more, and Serena fought to keep a gentle smile on her lips as she addressed her daughter once more. "What would you like?"

"Zosia and Jasmine have been taking riding lessons for the last few months, and they keep bragging about it at school."

Those were familiar names to Serena, as Elinor had long been enamored by the older, more glamourous, girls at her school, talking about them and their adventures with such eagerness that she knew it would cause problems down the road. She had just hoped that she would have had more time to prepare for this sort of thing. "Elinor, I really don't think…"

"Everyone at school rides horses, Mummy! Everyone. And you don't want me to lie to my friends and say that I have a horse, do you?"

"Wait, when did we go from wanting riding lessons to owning a horse, Elinor?"

"You see? You never want me to have anything in my life! This is so not fair!"

Serena pursed her lips in frustration, trying not to let her daughter know that she was getting beneath her skin. "I do want you to have the best in this world, Ellie. But there are other things out there besides horses. Wouldn't you like to learn an instrument? Or how to sculpt?"

"No! I want to learn how to ride. And there's nothing you can do to change my mind."

From the hard tone in Elinor's voice, Serena knew that she was fast losing this battle, and she took a deep breath as she reached out and tugged on a hank of Elinor's hair. "Nothing I say will dissuade you, will it?"

"No, my mind and heart are made up."

That brought forth a chuckle from dip in Serena's stomach, as she knew for certain she had said those same words to her mother not that long ago. "You truly are my clever girl, aren't you?" Elinor nodded as she gave her a tiny smile. "All right, despite my reservations, I suppose that I could look into getting you into lessons. I can't make any promises, of course, but I will start researching."

It was as if a switch had turned in her daughter, as a wide grin spread across her lips and she launched out of the chair and into her mother's arms. "Thank you so much, Mummy! I love you!" Elinor kissed her cheek loudly before wriggling away from Serena and running out of the room, most likely to head upstairs and play. Shaking her head, Serena got to her feet and then sank into the chair that her daughter had just vacated.

"What have you done, Serena Wendy Campbell? You've never been on a horse, not since you were kicked by one the one time Mum tried to get you interested in things like that. This is going to end in disaster." She buried her face in her hands as she let out a deep breath of resignation. "Priority number one is now going to be getting Elinor accustomed to hearing the word no from here on out. I cannot have her acting so entitled all the time."

Pulling out her phone, she searched for stables close to their home, knowing that she wouldn't want to travel too far every week for this passing fancy her daughter had. There were a number that seemed slightly suitable, but since she wasn't familiar with the inner workings of equestrian clubs, she had no idea if they really were good or not.

Finally, after clicking on the tenth link, she felt like she may have stumbled upon the perfect place. There was nothing fancy or showy about the website, which seemed to suit Serena just fine. It was refreshing to find a place that wasn't vaunted or puffed up or full of itself. Going through the various pages, she was able to see just what the barn had to offer, and she decided that she would have to check it out on her next day off.


	2. Chapter 2

"Where are you headed off to today, Serena?" Raf asked as she pulled on her jacket. She gave him a small smile as she shook her head. This only caused him to smile all the wider, as he continued to gaze at her, knowing that she would eventually tell him what she was up to. It was a bit infuriating, really, how well Raf knew her, and she narrowed her eyes a little as she fished her keys out of her pocket.

"Elinor has it in her head that in order to fit in with the other girls at her school, she needs to take riding lessons. I think that I found the perfect one, but I want to check it out before I allow my baby to potentially be atop a living death machine."

Raf laughed aloud at her statement, and she glared even harder at him, not finding anything funny about it. "Serena, you have nothing to worry about when it comes to horses. If she's getting lessons at a reputable barn, then the animals they use are certain to be tame enough to not be a worry. I remember back on my grandfather's farm, there was this old draft horse, cantankerous and mean. That beast bit and kicked me more times than I care to remember."

"Then you have some experience with horses?"

He reluctantly nodded, giving her an appraising look, almost as if he could read her mind. "I suppose that you could say that I do, yes. Why?"

"Come with me. I'll need someone who knows about these things, who can tell me if my instincts are correct about this barn. You aren't scheduled for any electives for a few hours, so it would be perfect."

A tiny groan slipped from his lips as his smile dimmed almost imperceptibly. "Do you really need me?"

"Yes! You're my cohort, and I need your opinion. And as your supervisor, I think I might order you to accompany me." She smirked a little at him, watching the play of emotions that swept over his face as he came to realise that there was no way that he could gracefully back out of the conversation.

"I suppose that I could go with you, as long as it wouldn't take too long."

Serena nodded as she pulled out her phone, looking at the time. "Excellent. Ms Wolfe is expecting us in forty minutes. The tour of the barns shouldn't take longer than twenty, and we'll be back here at Holby in about two hours. Perfect, yes?"

He nodded before looking down at his body. "Give me five minutes to change?"

"Of course. I'll be out by my car, don't leave me waiting too long."

Before he could say another word, she turned on her heel and hurriedly made her way out into the carpark. The wind was a bit biting, and she pulled her coat a little more tightly around her neck as she unlocked the doors and climbed inside. While she waited, Serena typed the address into her navigation system before relaxing back against the seat of her car. She hadn't told Elinor that she was going to do this, since she didn't want to get her daughter's hopes up quite yet.

"Sorry, Fletch had a quick question for me before I came out here, and it took me a little longer than expected."

She nodded as she started the car and pulled out of her spot. They didn't really talk on the drive, since she found that she was paying more attention to the voice directing her where to go. Though she did find her attention being grabbed more and more, the farther away from the city they drove. "Well, I suppose that the drive will do wonders for my nerves," she mused.

"That's a good way to look at it, Serena," Raf replied, his normally cheerful tone returning to his voice. She nodded and then made the next turn, knowing that this was the last one she would have to make. As she drove down the lane, she took note of the fences that lined one side, a few horses grazing in the fields. The sight settled her a little, but she also knew that that might change when she actually approached a horse.

Serena came to a stop outside what looked like the main barn, and she and Raf climbed out of the vehicle, stretching a little as they waited for her contact to arrive. And then, from the large doorway of the barn, appeared a tall, leggy, blonde, whose hair was swept up into a messy ponytail. For some reason, unbeknownst to her, Serena felt as if her breath was drawn from lungs with some force, and she had to focus on breathing evenly as the woman came up to them, a small half smile on her lips as she reached her hand out.

"I'm Bernie Wolfe. I believe that we spoke on the phone?"

She nodded as she grasped Bernie's hand, an electric frisson running up and down her spine as the touch lingered on. A quick blush stained her cheeks, and she threw a desperate look to Raf, hoping that he would be able to help her out. He gave her a small nod before clearing his throat, getting Bernie's attention.

Serena found she missed Bernie's touch when she withdrew her hand to shake Raf's. "I'm Raf di Lucca. So, what's your favorite style of riding?"

"While I did dabble in Western style riding during my time with the Army, I always found my heart returning to English riding. That's the only style that we teach here at this barn."

She nodded at those words, even though they didn't particularly mean anything to her, yet. She assumed that she would learn, if she allowed Elinor to take lessons. "All right, I think you were going to give us a tour?"

Bernie looked at her, a warm smile on her lips. That look alone was enough to discombobulate her once more, and she stepped closer to Raf as the other woman nodded. "I did promise you that, yes. If you'd like to follow me?" She gestured towards the open door, and Serena started forward, only to feel a large hand spread out across her back, guiding her along. The blush on her cheeks began to move down her neck to her upper chest and she struggled not to move away from the touch, as she didn't want to offend the woman. "This is the main barn, where your daughter will learn how to take care of the horse she's assigned to. I have a few horses that I have yet to match up to a rider, and we'll try to find the perfect match for her from them."

Serena nodded, looking at the different stalls. "Are all the horses this large?" she murmured, causing both Raf and Bernie to laugh loudly. Embarrassment ran up and down her spine as she mentally kicked herself, wishing she hadn't said something so inane.

"Well, yes, horses are large. I do have some ponies for the younger children who wish to learn how to ride, but seeing as how your daughter is ten, she should be more than capable of starting on a full sized horse. Of course, I won't start her on an Arabian, since that would be a little spirited for her, bit a good Morgan or Irish Hunter would be best for a beginner."

Raf nodded, obviously agreeing with Bernie. "That's the sort of horse I'd start my child on, Serena." It was good to know that this Bernie knew what she was talking about, which set Serena's heart a little more at ease with this decision she was about to make.


	3. Chapter 3

"Drinks tonight at Albie's?" Raf asked as they went back into the hospital. "That will give you some time to think about what we saw today, and then maybe I can answer some questions you might have."

Serena smiled at him as she pressed the button for the lift. "I think that would be nice, yes. And you're right, the buffer will give me some time to consider everything." He winked at her before peeling off for the stairs, and she shook her head a little, not wanting to overly exert herself. Thankfully, there wasn't anyone that interrupted her thoughts as she rode up to AAU, and Serena mulled over things in her mind.

"Head lost in the clouds, Serena?"

She looked up as she stepped off the elevator, seeing that she had very nearly bowled Henrik over, as she hadn't been paying attention to where she was heading. Shrugging her shoulders a little, she sidled up next to him, a little smile on her lips. "I think that I might have been thinking too hard. Elinor has decided that the only thing to help her deal with my divorce is riding lessons. Raf and I were out looking at a barn this afternoon, but we're going to wait until tonight to go over what I observed."

"Is anyone in your family a rider?" She shook her head. "Then this certainly will be a new enterprise for you. Which way do you find yourself leaning?"

"I want to give my daughter whatever she wants, over course," she replied as they started walking towards her office. "But I feel like that might indulge her more selfish tendencies. She threw a tantrum to even get me to consider the idea, so I don't want to encourage that behavior. But Bernie seems to think that riding will do her some good."

"Bernie?"

"Bernie Wolfe, the owner of the stable. Perhaps she's right, it might instill a core of responsibility in my daughter that she has been lacking up until now."

Henrik laughed gently as he took a seat next to her desk. "If Elinor is anything like you, then stubbornness runs through her veins." She blushed as she nodded. "Then, I think that you will have a very interesting choice ahead of you."

"I do believe that you're right. Will you join us at Albie's tonight? Raf and I are going to talk about everything that I saw today."

"I would enjoy that, Serena."

They shared a knowing glance before Henrik got up and made his way from the room. Once he had left, Serena leaned back in her chair and stared at the wall, trying to imagine what the right course of action would be. It wasn't too long, though, before Mary Claire was coming to get her for her scheduled elective surgery, and then she was thrust right back into work mode for the rest of the day, hardly stopping to think of anything related to riding or horses or her daughter's whims.

By the time she had changed out of her scrubs and into her street clothes, it was close to six, and she hoped that Raf or Henrik had managed to snag a table before the rest of the hospital crew traipsed over to the bar. Running her fingers through her hair, she smiled at her reflection and then picked up her satchel and began to head out to the bar.

To her immense relief, Henrik was sitting in front of the fireplace, a tall glass of beer in his hand. Looking towards the bar, she saw Raf was in line to order, and she scurried over to his side, tugging on his sleeve to get his attention. "Serena!"

"Sorry I'm later than I thought. Could you get me a glass of Shiraz? I'll pick up the next round."

"Sounds good to me."

She nodded and then went over to Henrik's side, taking a seat across from him to be closer to the fire. "I hope that the running of the hospital treated you gently today. I do not regret turning that role back over to you, at all."

He gave her a small smile before taking a sip of his drink. "It was a good day, nothing out of the ordinary happened, and I was able to secure us some more funding for the new expansion on AAU. Overall, I would say that that is a good day."

"I'd say so," she murmured as she snuggled back into the chair, gazing into the fire. A gentle silence fell between them, and so she was startled when Raf handed her the wine glass. Wrapping her fingers around the stem, she turned so that she could look at both of them, a smile dancing on her lips. "Elinor wants to take riding lessons."

"And you're going to let her."

She cocked her head as she regarded Henrik carefully. "You sound very confident of that."

"I know you, Serena. You love your daughter more than anything, and so, will give her what her heart desires. If that happens to be riding lessons, then that is what she'll get. Elinor is a smart girl, she knows how to get what she wants. But you are smarter and more experienced, and so know how to temper that desire in her in order to make certain that she grows up into a fine young woman."

She nodded a little, sipping at her wine before turning her head to look at Raf. "And what do you think, Raf?"

"I think that you would be well served to get her into lessons at Ms Wolfe's barn. I was really enamored with the way that she encouraged her riders to take personal responsibility of their mount. This will also help build all the positive traits in your daughter that you want. Plus, Ms Wolfe seems like she's not all posh like some barn owners can be. I felt completely at ease around her."

"I did, too," she murmured, catching the quick smirk that Raf tried to swallow. "Honestly, she was completely nice, and I would love to be her friend."

"Yes, friend, of course." Henrik picked up on the tone in Raf's voice and looked at her, arching one eyebrow in gentle inquisitiveness.

"Serena?"

"We had good chemistry! The best people are able to spark off each other instantly, and we had that. It's not like we'd ever be anything more than friends, I'm certain that I saw a wedding band on her hand, and I like sex with men. Isn't that right, Henrik?" She decided to tease the man a little, needing to get the attention off her and her supposed attraction to the horsewoman.

Just as she thought would happen, Henrik's face went white and then bright red as he gulped down some more of his beer before clearing his throat and looking at the fire. "I wouldn't know what you're talking about Serena," he said evenly, and she chuckled as she shook her head. "Though I do seem to recall that staff party last year, when you were more than a little tipsy…"

"Thank you, I remember that night clearly enough, Henrik." Her words were a little more clipped than necessary, so she tempered them with a tiny wink, watching him chuckle in response. "Now, before we embarrass each other any further, why don't we ask Mister di Lucca how his infatuation with a certain nurse is going?" Raf looked away from them, only for all their gazes to be drawn to the person in question, and it was all Serena could do to keep from cackling in glee, knowing that this evening was most definitely going to be a good one.


	4. Chapter 4

"Mum, your friend is here!"

Serena took one last look at her reflection in the mirror and smoothed down her hair, hoping that she looked all right. Though she didn't know why she cared so much, since Bernie was only going to be Elinor's riding instructor. It wasn't like Serena was seeing a potential suitor. A nervous laugh escaped her throat at that thought, and she smacked her lips a little before pushing away from her vanity and heading towards her bedroom door. "I'll be right there, darling," she called out as she started down the stairs.

Raf was in the living room, seated on the edge of her settee and looking decidedly uncomfortable to be in her home. Clearing her throat, she got his attention, and he bounded to his feet, a nervous smile on his lips. "Serena! Are you ready to go?"

"I just have to make certain that Elinor is, actually. Did you see where she went?"

He nodded and gestured to the backyard. Serena rolled her eyes a little before heading in that direction, finding her daughter sitting on her swing and pushing herself back and forth with the toe of her shoe. "He's not going to replace Daddy," Elinor said emphatically as Serena approached her, crouching down to look into her eyes.

"I know that, poppet. Raf is just a work friend, but he grew up on a farm, and he knows about horses, which is why he came over today. Raf helped me find the barn that you're going to take lessons at, and I thought that it would be good to have him with us today, in order to see if this is the perfect fit for you." Reaching out, she stroked her daughter's red blonde hair, allowing the silky strands to slip through her fingers.

"Okay, I suppose." Elinor stood up and Serena stiffly got up as well, cracking her back a little before she took hold of Elinor's hand and brought her back inside. Raf was still in the living room, and she arched an eyebrow as she gestured with her head towards the front door. He nodded and followed after them, heading to his car while Serena locked the house and then joined him by his car. "Mummy, really?"

"Yes, Elinor. Get in and fasten your seatbelt."

Her daughter sighed heavily as she did as instructed, while Serena and Raf shared a knowing look. "Children are a handful," he said quietly, and she nodded before getting in the passenger seat and settling into her seat before fastening her own belt, watching Raf start his car and then back out into traffic.

The ride to the barn was quiet, which surprised Serena, as she had assumed that her daughter would be full of questions or chatter. Then again, knowing that she wasn't exactly a fan of Raf may have made her be less talkative than normal. Raf drove a little more conservatively than she did, so she tried to gauge how long the drive would take when she drove, figuring that it would be at least thirty minutes from her house to the stables.

Raf pulled into a parking spot near another vehicle, and Elinor tumbled out, instinctively drawn to the large barn. Serena let out a deep sigh as she hurriedly followed after her daughter. They had just reached the doors when Bernie came tromping out, her legs looking impossibly long in the buff jodhpurs she was wearing. Unconsciously, Serena licked her lips as her eyes travelled up Bernie's body to look into the other woman's face, noticing the slight smirk on her lips that told her she had been caught out.

"Is your partner coming today?"

Serena felt strangely deflated to hear Raf described that way, and from the way that Elinor stamped her foot, she knew that her daughter was less than pleased as well, but for a completely different reason. "Raf should be right behind us. But he's just a work colleague that knows more about horses than I do. I'm not looking for another partner at the moment."

The smirk softened into a true smile, and Serena found herself returning that expression, a faint blush staining her cheeks as Raf finally made his appearance. "Sorry for making you wait, I had to take a call from Mister Hanssen."

"Is there an emergency?" Serena asked, instantly becoming focused on him, even as her brain tried to come up with a way to make certain that Elinor was taken care of.

"No, everything's fine, he just has a question about my post-surgical notes on the Craddock case. I guess that her GP had a question about what I did to close the wound with so small a suture."

She nodded before turning her focus back to Bernie and Elinor. In the small amount of time their conversation had taken, Bernie had managed to draw her daughter into a conversation, changing her daughter's foul mood into something more pleasant. That was the best thing that she could have asked for, since she knew that Bernie and Elinor getting along would bode well for the working relationship that they would have in the future. "And now, I think that your mother and Raf are free to talk with us again. I know, it can be hard to have a mum who has an important job that interrupts her quite often."

Bernie looked at her, and Serena gave her a grateful smile before reaching out for her daughter's hand, interlocking their fingers. "I don't think that we'll need a detailed tour of the barns and property today, Bernie. Elinor seemed very excited about finding which horse would be hers for lessons."

"We can do that." Bernie gestured towards the main barn, and Serena nodded, letting her and Raf head inside while she and Elinor trailed behind a little.

"Mummy! Why aren't you going in first?"

Serena looked down at her daughter, giving her a look. Elinor pursed her lips together into a thin line, as if she was trying to keep from saying something rude, and Serena shook her head a little before answering. "Bernie and Raf are the ones who know the most about horses. I figured I would let them talk about which one would be best for you, so that you can have a good experience."

"But you should pick one out for me! You know me better than those two do!"

Serena could sense that this would fast turn into a tantrum, and she took a deep breath as she nodded. "All right, I will choose one that I think appropriate for you, and then Bernie and Raf will weigh in on if I made a good decision or not."

Elinor gave a tight nod before prodding her forward, and Serena tripped over her feet, only to be caught by Bernie, her arm coming to rest around her waist as she steadied her. "The cracks in the barn floor trip me up at times, too," she said lowly, and Serena nodded a little as she stepped away from the woman once more. "Now, go, look at the horses, Raf and I will talk shop until you've come up with the one you might want Elinor to ride."

She nodded a little before heading deeper into the barn, peering into all the stalls before stopping in front of one that contained a horse whose coat was the colour of Bernie's hair. She didn't know why that appealed to her, but she felt like this would be the perfect mount for her daughter. "Ellie, what do you think of this one?" she called out, beckoning her daughter to her side. Elinor ran up to her and gazed into the stall before looking up at her mother and nodding eagerly.

"You picked an excellent mount, Serena. Valkyrie, despite her name, is a gentle mount, perfect for a beginning rider. So, now that we have that all settled, how about we settle when Elinor's lessons will be? Raf can show her how to approach and brush her while we do that." She nodded absently, wondering how she had been backed into a corner so neatly and quickly by her daughter, but she knew that it would be worth it to see the happiness on her face every week.


	5. Chapter 5

Serena adjusted how her sunglasses sat on her face. She hadn't wanted to attend lessons today, but Elinor had insisted that it was the only thing that would make her feel better. Serena had halfheartedly agreed with her daughter, glad that she had something to focus on rather than her grief over losing her grandmother. The drive over had been subdued, neither of them finding anything to talk about, and Serena had had to keep from reaching out to stroke Elinor's hair. She wanted to comfort her so badly, but Elinor had already started chaffing at the over attention, and Serena didn't want to push her away at a time like this.

The moment she had parked near the barn, Elinor was unbuckling her belt and running inside, as if she was that eager to be away from Serena, and the grief that hovered around her like a thick fog. Turning off her car, Serena sat behind the wheel and took a few deep breaths, steeling herself for the hour or so ahead of her. A soft knocking on her window caused her to jump, and she whipped her head around to see Bernie standing there, a sheepish look on her face. Pressing her lips together, Serena shooed her away so that she could open the door and step out.

"We missed you last week," she said evenly, giving Serena a small smile. To her horror, she felt her lower lip quiver, and Bernie stepped closer to her once more, resting a hand on her shoulder. The gentle touch was all it took to open the floodgates for her, and she burst into tears, allowing Bernie to wrap her in a tight embrace. "What happened?" she murmured in her ear as she rubbed her back gently, comforting her until she was able to speak once more.

"Mum's funeral was last week. I, I know I should have told you Elinor was missing her lesson, but this was honestly the last thing on my mind."

"Oh, Serena," Bernie breathed out, tightening her hold on her once more. She shrugged a little before finally returning the hug, feeling herself come undone once more. "Did you take some time off work, then? Usually you don't stay with Elinor."

"I, I need to be around her more now. She hates it already, but…"

"I get it, you don't have to explain yourself. I have something that might take your mind off things a little, though I don't know if you'll agree with doing manual labor."

Serena pulled away from Bernie and swiped beneath her eyes, trying to remove the traces of her tears from her face. "I am not shoveling manure," she said a bit imperiously, and Bernie let out a loud goose honk of a laugh as she shook her head. "What then?"

"My stable guy had to go home and visit his parents for a few days, which means the horses aren't getting brushed like they should be. I know, it might not be as glamorous as surgery, but after being almost blown up by a IED and losing my ability to remain in the Armed Forces, well, there's something soothing about running a curry comb over a horse's flank and feeling their warmth bleed into your body."

This new piece of information about Bernie took Serena by surprise, and she nodded sheepishly as they started for the barn. Elinor was already in with her horse, getting her ready for the lesson ahead, and Serena gave her a sad smile as they passed by. Bernie stopped in front of a wall that held a number of brushes and things that Serena couldn't identify. The woman reached out and grabbed a purple rubber brush, thrusting it into her hand before heading off once more.

Frowning, Serena followed after her, wanting to lay into her and say that she was not some docile creature to be ordered around so blithely, but knowing that that wouldn't have any purpose other than to get her anger out. Bernie stopped in front of a stall, and Serena watched as a gorgeous black horse head appeared over the door. "I'm going to ask you to work with Midas while I give Elinor her lesson. Usually, Dom would take about fifteen minutes with him, but you need to take your time here. Midas is a gentle gelding, there's nothing to fear with him. Just don't think you can pick up his feet, you're not a farrier, after all."

She nodded dumbly as she held up the brush in her hand. "And I do what with this?"

"Here," Bernie said as she stretched out her hand. Serena stepped closer to her, trying not to react when Bernie closed her fingers around her wrist, even though a shiver travelled up and down her spine. Taking a deep breath, she allowed Bernie to guide her hand over to the horse's side, covering it with her own as she showed her how to brush the fur. "And if you finish currying Midas's sides, you can return the brush and grab a comb. His mane could use with a few braids, and it will keep your fingers nimble for your next surgery."

Serena chuckled as she rolled her eyes. "Elinor tries to use that same line with me when she wants me to braid her hair. You are both incorrigible."

"I try," Bernie replied, giving her a small smile before patting Midas gently. "And one last thing – do not go behind Midas. All horses get twitchy when there's movement behind them, since they can't see what's there, and they'll react out of self-preservation. I wouldn't want you to get injured."

"I'll keep that in mind," she murmured as she watched Bernie slip out of the stall and head down to where Elinor and Valkyrie were. She couldn't help but stare after her, feeling sad at her leaving, which was ridiculous, since they didn't truly know each other yet. But there was something about the kind, gentle, way she had treated Serena that made her heart soften towards her. Serena knew that she couldn't stare for too long, though, so she shook her head before stepping close to Midas once more, trying to swallow her unease at being around an animal so large. "Hey there, Midas," she said lowly, reaching out to pat his side like Bernie had. He blew air out through his lips before turning his head to look at her, and she swallowed her squeak of surprise before starting to brush his side.

There was something soothing about the motions, and Serena found a little of her anger and grief being worked out of her system as she worked the knots and dirt from Midas's fur. She lost herself in doing the work, keeping in mind what Bernie had told her about taking care around the horse's feet and his back. Taking a glance at her watch, she saw that thirty minutes has passed by in a heartbeat, and she ran the brush over Midas one last time before slipping out and grabbing the comb, setting the purple brush on the bench, since there was no way she was putting something dirty up with all the clean instruments.

Going back to the stall, she stroked Midas carefully, jerking back a little when he gently butted her with his nose. "You're a little too big to do things like that," she said as she raised the comb and started to work the snarls out of his mane. "But you really are beautiful." She picked up a few hanks of hair and started to braid it tightly, again finding the work enough to take her mind off her sorrow at losing her mother.


	6. Chapter 6

"Mum, we have to leave now, or we'll be late!"

Serena sighed as she looked at Jason. He was staring down into his mug of hot chocolate, and Serena reached out to touch his hand gently, knowing that they were still growing accustomed to how tactile she could be with him before his Asperger's started to affect his reaction. "That's it, you're coming with us today. You probably won't be able to do anything more than watch, but I can't afford to wait any longer."

"I know, Auntie Serena. It's not like Alan to be so late. While you drive, I shall text him and inform him of where we are, and he can pick me up there."

She gave him a grateful smile as they got up from the table. Jason made certain to rinse out his mug before following after her into the foyer and pulling on his jacket. Elinor gave them both a look before stomping outside and over to the car, thrusting herself into the back seat before slamming the door closed. Serena took a deep breath and counted to ten as she walked over to the car and slipped behind the wheel, Jason slipping into the passenger seat as she started the vehicle.

As she drove, she listened to Jason tap away on his phone before he nodded at the screen and placed it in his pocket. "Mum, can you turn some music on or something?"

"Oh, the lady speaks," she said drolly, watching Elinor roll her eyes. "If you ask nicely, then yes, I will."

"Fine. Mum, will you please turn the radio on? I would like to listen to some music."

Serena relented and turned the radio on, her fingers tapping against the steering wheel to the beat of the song as she drove. Once they had arrived, Elinor was again out like a shot, racing for the barn while Serena and Jason followed after her sedately. "Have you been on a horse yet, Auntie Serena?" Jason asked as they entered, and she shook her head. "Why?"

"They're larger than I am, and I would much rather keep my feet on the ground," she replied. A light chuckle caught her attention, and she turned her head to see a young man, about Jason's age, standing to her right. "Ah, you must be Dominic Copeland. Bernie's told me a little about you, but it is nice to put a face to a name," she said as she held out her hand.

The young man shook it firmly before giving her an open grin. "And it's great to put a face with your name as well, Ms Campbell. Bernie has had nothing but good things to say about you, I hope you know, so you've really made a good impression on her."

Serena wondered a little at those words, but then her attention was caught by Bernie and Elinor leading Valkyrie out to the indoor ring, since it was so cold outside. "That is a very lovely horse," Jason said, and she nodded offhandedly as they followed after them, leaving Dom behind. As she turned the corner, she looked back at the young man, seeing that open grin still on his face, as if he knew something about Bernie and herself that she hadn't quite figured out. Shaking her head a little, she took a seat in the stands, Jason sitting next to her, and focused her attention on her daughter.

"All right, today we're going to try and sustain a trot. You've been doing really well at moving into it, but it's keeping steady enough once you're at that speed that has given you issues the last two weeks. I know, it's an awkward gait, but one you need to master before we can canter and gallop."

Elinor nodded as she squeezed her heels into Valkyrie's sides, and Serena watched her daughter start to ride around the ring, her body moving in tandem with the horse. There was something so lovely about seeing Elinor atop her horse, her braid thumping against her back as she started to gain speed. And then Serena's gaze shifted from Elinor to Bernie, taking in the way the woman's focus was entirely on her daughter, the small words of encouragement that slipped from her mouth perfect for what her daughter was doing.

"It feels odd, Bernie," Elinor said as she slowed the horse once more.

"I know, poppet, but that weird feeling only lasts until you're accustomed to the gait. Shall we try it once more?" Elinor nodded and squeezed her heels into Valkyrie's side once more, the horse picking up speed on command. Serena smiled at the skillful way Bernie had redirected her daughter to what she wanted from her. It was almost as if she had her own children that she did the same with, and Serena tucked that thought away in the back of her mind, wanting to ask her about it later.

The rest of the lesson went by smoothly, and though Serena tried to keep her focus on Elinor, her eyes kept sliding over to Bernie, watching as the woman moved around the ring with her daughter, jogging to keep up with her. She found her gaze drawn to the curve of her arse and the way she moved with such ease, despite a slight hitch to her gait on her left side. A part of her wondered if that had to do with what Bernie had mentioned about her time in the service coming to an abrupt end, though she knew that meant she would have to ask her about it, and she wasn't certain that that was a good idea, since they were merely acquaintances at the moment.

Feeling eyes watching her, she turned her head to see Dom standing in the threshold to the inside ring, his hip cocked against the wooden side as he looked at her, a knowing grin on his lips. Serena shrugged and motioned for him to join them. Dome shook his head, giving her another wink before turning on his heel and heading back into the stable proper. Sighing a little, she let out a low breath before returning her focus to Elinor and Bernie. A trill of girlish laughter rang through the arena, and as she watched, Elinor started moving a little faster, Bernie holding on to one of the leads as she broke into a sprint. There was a look of pure joy on the woman's face, and Serena couldn't help but grin in response, feeling that same sense of happiness well up in her own breast.

"They're so beautiful, Auntie Serena," Jason said lowly, and she nodded in agreement. "Do you think that I could do that? I don't know if Alan would allow me to try, but a part of me would really like to try. Do you think Bernie would let me?"

"We'll have to see, Jason. I'm not your guardian, so I can't give you the answer you want, but if it were solely up to me, I would." She gave him a sad smile before reaching out to rest her hand on his shoulder, squeezing it softly as they both looked at Bernie and Elinor once more. Serena just wished that she could find this same sense of peace in her own life, without all the responsibilities that were currently weighing her down.


	7. Chapter 7

For once, Serena found herself arriving at the stable on time, Jason and Elinor in tow, and they were all able to walk inside together. Serena was still surprised to find that there were two horses kitted out already, Dom holding on to their reins as Bernie fussed with something on Valkyrie. Serena wanted to clear her throat to get Bernie's attention, but found that there was no moisture in her throat to do so. Glancing over at Dom, she saw that he was again giving her a knowing smirk, and she rolled her eyes a little as she strode over to Bernie's side and touched her arm, causing her to jump a little.

"Oh, you're here early!" she said, giving Serena a wide smile. "This is perfect, since I have Prince here, ready to go. I was going to ride with Elinor today, but perhaps you'd like to try a few turns around the ring." Bernie gave her a gentle smile before resting her hand on Serena's shoulder.

"No."

She hadn't meant to sound so harsh, but the idea of getting on a horse that was even larger than Valkyrie filled her with a vulnerability that startled her. Bernie's face fell as she slowly pulled her hand away, and Serena wished that she hadn't been so quick to say no. Still, she pulled away from Bernie, letting Elinor come between them as she picked up Valkyrie's reins from Dom's hands and began to lead her through the doorway to the inside ring. "It's not all that bad, Serena. Prince is a loving giant, I promise."

"And I said no." She narrowed her eyes at Bernie, stepping closer to Dom as Jason came up to their side, wearing an anxious frown. Bernie's expression nearly mirrored his, and Serena steeled herself for an encounter where she would be on the losing end. "There are boundaries to consider, Ms Wolfe, and you are skirting them right now."

"Serena…"

She glared at Bernie before turning her attention to Jason, watching him pet Prince, an easy smile on his lips. "Auntie Serena, Alan said that as long as you are here to watch me, I may ride whenever Bernie allows me to. Since the horse is already saddled, may I take your time on him before Bernie starts the lesson with Elinor?"

Trust her nephew to diffuse the situation that was rapidly brewing between her and Bernie, and she gave him a grateful smile as she nodded, looking over at Bernie to see if she was agreeable. There was still a faint look of disagreement on her face, and she arched an eyebrow before looking back at Jason, making certain her face was a placid mask. "I think that would be a lovely idea, Jason. Don't you, Bernie?"

"Oh, yes. Follow me, Jason." Serena refused to look at Bernie as she allowed them to leave, and she drew in a few deep, heaving, breaths as she tried to tamp down her anger at the situation.

"That little display won't win you any brownie points," Dom said as he came up to her side. She snapped her head over to glare at him, and he held up his hands, a cheerful smile on his lips. "If you're afraid of riding, that's all you have to say, you didn't need to react quite so strongly."

"Fear makes us lash out at times, Dom," she said lowly, starting to feel ashamed of how she had reacted. "I suppose that I should get in there, so that if Alan asks I was watching over Jason the entire time."

He nodded, falling into step with her as they went along. "So, what's his story?"

She was pleased that he had phrased it that way, since there were other ways that were much less sensitive. "He has high functioning Asperger's. It's been difficult growing accustomed to his little quirks and routines, especially since he's only been in our lives for the last six months or so. I almost feel like I'm on Hollyoaks, since I discovered I had a sister who tragically died before I even knew about her existence, and she had a son that wanted to be a part of our lives. Though it was nice to find him right as I was dealing with my divorce and my mother's dementia."

Dom nodded as he patted her shoulder lightly. "We welcome the thorny, tangled, stories here at the stable. I have one of my own that I can tell you sometime. However, you need to watch your family, and I need to get to work cleaning the stalls." She gave him a small smile before heading into the stands and taking a seat where she could watch everything unfold. Keeping her focus on Jason and Elinor, she didn't notice the absence of Bernie until a large hand touched her shoulder. Looking up into Bernie's face, she felt her own expression tighten as the woman took a seat next to her.

"Don't you think that you should be in the arena, just in case something happens to Jason? I don't believe he's ever been on a horse before."

"You really need to pull that stick out of your arse, Campbell. Jason is fine, he's on a steady mount, and Elinor is out there with him. Though things can go wrong, I am close by and can handle it appropriately. Now, why did you react so angrily to my simple question?"

Serena looked away from her, folding her hands primly in her lap as she took a few calming breaths. "I don't like horses, they frighten me. I thought you recognized that when you had me brush and comb Midas. I thought you were just trying to get me accustomed to their presence. Now, I highly doubt I will ever ride a horse, no matter how prettily you ask. Jesus, Wolfe, I just can't jump when you say jump. That's not who I am."

Bernie rubbed her thumb back and forth against Serena's upper arm, and she found the movement to be soothing, almost like the way Edward had comforted her early in their marriage, back before he had cheated on her and left her with a moody preteen and challenging nephew and a failing mother. "But I think that you can be that person, if given the right motivation. Just promise me, when the time is right, you'll get up on a horse."

Serena released a frustrated breath as she shrugged. "Maybe. But it will have to be on my own timetable. I need to feel comfortable."

"Of course," Bernie replied before drawing her hand back. Serena felt strangely empty at the loss of warmth. "I need to get down there now, and I'll send Jason up your way." She knocked her shoulder into Serena's before standing up, and Serena watched her as she went down into the ring, her eyes drawn to the woman's legs. There was something about the sure way she walked, something Serena couldn't quite put her finger on, but it wasn't something that she wanted to dwell on for much longer. Tearing her gaze away, she focused on Elinor, still trotting around the circle, looking so carefree and happy. A part of Serena wished that she could shrug off her worries and cares like that, and as Jason took a seat next to her, and Bernie mounted her horse, she let out a frustrated sigh, knowing that she couldn't keep going on like this. Something would have to give, and soon.


	8. Chapter 8

"How's Digby?" Raf said as he took a seat at the table across from Serena. She shrugged a little as she took the glass of wine from his hand, sipping at it as she tried to gather her thoughts. As a doctor, she knew that Arthur was failing much more quickly than her all too human side wanted to admit. Raf must have seen something in her eyes, as he reached across the table and touched her free hand, offering her comfort. The first thing that popped into her mind, though, was that she wished Bernie was the one touching her hand, and she frowned at that thought, pushing it away from the forefront of her mind as she tried to refocus on Raf's question.

"The end is closer than we all think. After watching my mother die, being so close to that in a different way than as a doctor, it gave me a little insight into the whys and wherefores. I feel so sorry for Morven, this is going to devastate her."

"It's going to devastate us all, Serena. He's a well-liked junior doctor, and his passing will hit Keller and AAU hard."

She nodded, rubbing her lips together as she tried to keep from crying. There would be a time for tears, she knew, but this was not it. He seemed to understand her reluctance to speak more, as he drew his hand back and brought his drink to his lips, sipping at it as he watched her. She gave him a small smile before clearing her throat and glancing over his shoulder at the door. For just a moment, she thought that she saw Bernie outside the door, but that was proven wrong when it opened and Henrik walked in with the blonde neurosurgeon that had recently started. Though she didn't know her but by her face, Serena could tell that there was a history between them, and she couldn't wait to pull that story out of Henrik at the next meeting. Raf followed her gaze, and then turned back to grin at her. "He will not take it well if we let on that we know," she said as she gave him a little smirk.

"I know, but it's fun to think about all the ways we could tease him about it. Speaking of…"

"There is no one in my life right now. And I don't think there will be for some time. I need to get used to being alone before I can think of adding a partner to the mix. After all, not everyone is going to be patient with Jason, and as he's family, he comes before my own personal pleasure."

Raf frowned a little. "You need to keep in mind that it is completely okay to focus on yourself, Serena. You don't need to sacrifice your joy and love to satisfy the notion that family is the be all and end all. You poured out so much of yourself into your mother, especially at the end, that no one would blink an eye if you had some fun. It doesn't have to be permanent, you know."

"I'm not one for casual, Raf."

He shrugged before taking another sip of his drink. "It doesn't have to be casual, you know."

She sighed before offering her own shrug in return. "Maybe I'm just too set in my ways. Anyway, I think that Elinor and Jason are enough for me to think about right now. Especially since Elinor is enthralled by her lessons."

"How is that going?"

He leaned forward to look at her a little more closely, a little smirk on his lips, and she arched her eyebrow before twirling her wine around in her glass. "Elinor is making progress, slowly but steadily, though she can't quite seem to master the trot. Bernie keeps getting after her to keep her form, and I keep waiting for her to throw a tantrum about being corrected so often. Seems she only gets frustrated with that when it's me getting after her."

"To be fair, isn't that how it works with all children? When they're doing something that they want to do, they'll listen to any and all orders given by an instructor."

"True, but Bernie is just so, so, aggravating! Did I tell you?"

"Probably not, since you haven't really brought her up in general conversation yet. What has she done to aggravate you so?"

She could tell that he was teasing her, and Serena let out a little huff of breath as she set her glass down with a loud clink. "Two weeks ago, she told me that I needed to pull the stick from my arse and learn how to let go of having control over everything. Can you believe that?"

Raf stifled the chuckle that started to escape his mouth at the look she shot him, and he shook his head frantically as he shrugged a little before gulping at his drink. "You can be a bit intense at times, Serena. This is probably the only time I've seen you relax and let your hair down. I know that you joke with us, and try to make the day a little more smooth when we have difficult patients, but there's just this sense that you do like to have control. Somehow, I think that you might have picked that trait up from your mother."

A small blush bloomed in her cheeks as she looked down into her wine. "You do have a point there. But she could have phrased it a little more delicately!"

"And why do you care?" She looked up at him with raising her head, taking in the twinkle in his eyes. It was the same twinkle that Dom was wearing whenever she brought Elinor and Jason to the stable, and it rankled her just as much to see it from her colleague as from Dom. "We're friends, Serena, you can tell me. Have you taken a fancy to the lovely Ms Wolfe?"

The blush intensified, and Serena choked on a mouthful of wine, swallowing quickly before coughing. "Don't be ridiculous, Raf! She's teaching my daughter how to ride, nothing more. Besides, I am a dyed in the wool heterosexual. There is no way that I could be attracted to her!"

Raf raised his eyebrows as he tilted his head to one side, staring at her. The longer the look lasted, the more flustered she felt, and Serena darted her eyes away from his, looking over at Henrik and his friend. The woman was giving him a tender smile, and she sighed at the fact that at least one of them somewhat happy. "Earth to Serena!" She looked back at Raf. "I think that this reaction tells me that there might be something in your heart for Bernie. It's okay to explore new things, and who knows? Maybe that wool wasn't dyed quite so straight after all."

She took a deep breath, about to refute his words when she thought about just how often she checked out Bernie's bum when she was turned away from her, or the fact that she did aggravate her so. She knew that was her being defensive, putting up a wall before Bernie could see her heart and find her lacking. It was a little disconcerting that Raf and Dom could read her so well, however, and she knew that she would have to start treading a little more lightly, lest all her secrets be put on display for them to ferret out. "Still, she's my daughter's instructor. It would be highly inappropriate of me to even think about her that way."

"No, inappropriate would be if you worked for her. As long as no special treatment comes from you pursuing her, I say answer your questions and find out why she aggravates you so. Who knows, maybe she'll be just what you need to find yourself again." Serena gave him a small nod, knowing that he did had a good point, even if she wasn't certain that she wanted to take that small step into the unknown.


End file.
